Creating a boot device is helpful in several ways. It acts as a storage device to install a new operating system. However, when you make your pen drive bootable, you will be unable to store files on it as before. Instances may occur when you need your bootable drive for normal use by getting it back to its original state.
This article provides instructions on how to convert a bootable pen drive into a normal one.. To make your Pen drive as the normal one once more, you need to convert it back to FAT format from NTFS after making it bootable. Let’s look at how to convert a bootable pen drive into a normal one.
Quick Methods to Convert a Bootable Pen Drive to Normal on Windows
Creating a bootable pen drive helps you to enter into the WinPE environment. But once the purpose is achieved, you may want to restore the bootable Pen drive to its normal condition. Here we will discuss both the above-mentioned methods in detail to know how to convert a bootable Pen drive to a normal one. Check out all the methods and select the one that best suits your requirement.
Method 01: Use the Format Option in File Explorer
Using the Format option in My Computer or This PC is the simplest way to return your USB drive to its original state. Go through the following steps to know how it functions:
- Firstly, press Windows + E keys to open File Explorer. Go to “This PC” and find the bootable USB flash drive.
- Locate and right-click on the bootable USB flash drive, and then select the “Format” option.
- Select the NTFS or FAT32 option from the file system drop-down. Also, choose the allocation unit size as per your requirement. However, if you are not familiar with the default options, you can click the “Restore device defaults” option to restore the device’s default settings.
- Once done with the above changes, select Quick Format and click the “Start” button.
Now, you will get a warning message on your screen, click OK to continue. Wait till your pen drive starts formatting to the selected file system. When you get the Format Complete message, check if you are able to use your pen drive as the normal one.
Method 02: Convert Bootable Pen Drive to Normal Using Disk Management
Windows Disk Management utility is also one of the main features to help you convert bootable USB back to normal. All you have to do is:
- Firstly, press Windows + R keys to open the Run prompt and type “diskmgmt.msc” in the search box. Press the Enter key to open the Disk Management window.
- Now, locate and right-click on the bootable USB drive, and also select the “Format…” option.
- At last, select an appropriate file system or tap the “Default” for the allocation unit size.
- Finally, press the “OK” button.
Method 03: Use Diskpart CMD to Convert Bootable Pen Drive to Normal One
If the above methods fail to restore your bootable pen drive to a normal one, you can unboot it using Disk Management. To convert a bootable pen drive to a normal one using the Diskpart command, you need to apply the following steps:
- Open the Run prompt by pressing the Windows + R keys simultaneously. Type “Diskpart” in the search box and press the Enter key.
- Now, enter the command “list disk“, “select disk X“, and “clean” one by one and keep pressing Enter key after each command (replace X with the disk number of your bootable USB drive).
- After that, type the “create partition primary” command and press Enter key. This command helps you to create a partition on this bootable USB drive.
- Then, type the command “format fs=fat32 quick” or “format fs=ntfs quick” as per the file system you want and then again press the Enter key.
- After successful completion of the above steps, type “Exit” and press Enter key.
What If Data Loss Occurs After Making Pen Drive Unbootable?
The above methods may seem simple to unboot your bootable pen drive. But incidents like data loss can occur to anyone at any time. In such cases, you can use professional data recovery software, such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional to restore your deleted files. It is the best option to recover your data deleted due to any reason such as accidental deletion, drive formatting, disk corruption, partition loss, etc.
Why is Stellar Data Recovery Professional Best For Your Data Loss Issues?
Check out some amazing features of this professional data recovery software that make it best for your data loss issues in any scenario:
- The Stellar data recovery software supports the recovery of data from both Windows and Mac devices.
- It recovers your lost files from any storage media, including memory cards, flash drives, hard drives, SSDs, Micro SD cards, Pen drives, and others.
- The software also supports the recovery of files from disks and partitions formatted with the FAT, ex-FAT, and NTFS file systems.
Now check the step-by-step instructions to know how to recover your lost data using the Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool:
- Firstly, download and install the Stellar Data Recovery Professional software in your system.
- Launch the software and from the “Select What to Recover” window, select the type of file you need to recover and click the Next button.
- Now, from the “Recover From” window, select the storage location from where you need to restore the file and click Scan.
- After completion of the scanning process, preview the files you want back and click Recover to save recovered data at the desired location.
Wrapping Up
All the aforementioned methods will help you to know how to convert a bootable pen drive to a normal one. You can try any of these methods to make your pen drive a new one and continue saving data on it. If any data loss occurs during these steps, you can recover your lost data using the Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool, a one-stop solution for your data loss issues.
